Every designer has their muse. For Riccardo Tisci, it’s none other than Irina Shayk—for whom the Italian fashion powerhouse has expressed his adoration on multiple occasions. And judging by the runway star’s latest look, the love is mutual. On Thursday, Shayk took to Instagram to show off one of Tisci’s earliest designs for Burberry. Specifically, it was a piece from spring 2019, Tisci’s debut runway show for the British house.
“Vintaging in ma Burberry by Riccardo Tisci,” the Russian beauty captioned a selfie, adding “first collection…dat is no longer available.”
Shayk appeared to be wearing a commercial version of look 27 from the catwalk show: a plunging midi dress complete with plenty of pattern play. The dress featured a low-cut neckline and a sheer lace bustier. From there, the piece moved into a black-and-white motif before finishing off with several splashes of red (if Shayk’s dress is in fact based on the runway version, then it presumably finished with a calf-length, pleated skirt).
Shayk is somewhat of a vintage fashion head (remember her archival ’90s Versace dress?), but given her decades-long friendship with Tisci, it’s fitting that she’s held onto some of the designer’s hero pieces. We’d also assume Shayk has first dibs on whatever the ex-Givenchy and Burberry designer puts out.
Shayk and Tisci go way back. The model fronted several of Tisci’s more memorable Givenchy campaigns including one where she wore, well, nothing. She also appeared in a series of Burberry ads, acting as the face of the brand’s pre-fall and fall 2020 collections. Fittingly, Shayk walked in Tisci’s spring 2023 runway show, his final offering for the British brand which is now designed by Daniel Lee. Off the catwalk, Tisci recently helped Shayk celebrate her 38th birthday alongside Emily Ratajkowski and Stella Maxwell. The pair even staged a memorable moment in matching black looks during last year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Tisci has been a free agent since leaving Burberry. Fans have called for him to take over at a multitude of houses, with many saying he should return to Givenchy following the departure of Matthew Williams back in December. Wherever the designer ends up, Shayk will surely be by his side.